frightfiction Chapter 348: Rescuing Zhao Ning'er
Chapter 348: Rescuing Zhao Ning'er
Chapter 348: Rescuing Zhao Ning'er
After a while, confirming that the men in black wouldn't return, Lu Yu jumped down from the roof and headed towards the thatched hut. Upon entering, he discovered the hut was locked. Having no other option, he used his light-footed skill to land on the roof, cleared away the thatch, and scanned the interior, spotting Zhao Ning'er in the corner.
He quickly jumped down and ran over to help Zhao Ning'er up from the ground. Her face was pale and her lips were bloodless. Lu Yu didn't know what was wrong with her, so he quickly untied her. Zhao Ning'er seemed to lose her balance and fell directly into Lu Yu's arms. He wanted to push her away, but then he saw Zhao Ning'er's wounds.
Now I know why she was so weak. Zhao Ning'er's body was also ice-cold, and her brows were furrowed like a rope. She seemed to sense the warmth emanating from Lu Yu. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Lu Yu, was somewhat dazed, mistook him for Shen Bin, and hugged Lu Yu, bursting into tears.
"I thought you were really going to marry someone else," she said weakly, leaning into Lu Yu's arms, her voice brimming with undisguised joy. Lu Yu helped Zhao Ning'er up, pulling her away from his embrace. Zhao Ning'er didn't fuss, standing steadily. Lu Yu, worried she might fall, supported her with one hand.
"Miss Ning'er, it's me, Lu Yu." Lu Yu knew Zhao Ning'er was probably still in shock, so he didn't scold her but instead reminded her. Zhao Ning'er stood there, and when she saw who it was, knowing it was Lu Yu, tears streamed down her face.
"Where's Shen Bin? He...he really...really married someone else..." She called Shen Bin's name for the first time, and a pang of sadness struck her. It was such a familiar name, yet hearing it aloud caused her such heartache. He...he really married someone else. And what about me? What am I going to do? Zhao Ning'er felt a mix of emotions, but she was incapable of comforting anyone. Seeing Zhao Ning'er crying, she didn't know what to do.
“Miss Zhao, Young Master Shen only agreed to Princess Xiangping's proposal to save you. Now that you've been rescued, all I need to do is take you to see him, and he can back out of the engagement.” Lu Yu said unhurriedly. Actually, he was a little worried that they wouldn't make it in time. If they consummated their marriage and Shen Bin lifted the bride's veil, the marriage would be finalized.
Zhao Ning'er looked at Lu Yu, bit her lip, and nodded, indicating that he should take her to see Shen Bin. Lu Yu hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to carry Zhao Ning'er in his arms or on his back. In the end, he decided to carry her. Her hand was injured, but fortunately he had some wound medicine with him. He applied the medicine for her, tore off a piece of cloth from his clothes to bandage her wound, and then, with Zhao Ning'er on his back, used his light-footed skill to fly towards Xiangping Palace.
Inside Xiangping Palace, the matrons were dressing and grooming Xiangping. First, she bathed and changed clothes, and then they began her makeup. Her hair was styled in a high bun, her face was lightly powdered, with a touch of blush, her eyebrows drawn, and a mole placed at the corner of her eyebrow. A peony flower dot adorned the center of her forehead, and a dot of vermilion touched her lips. She wore a red dress, and the phoenix crown on her head was rather heavy.
Princess Xiangping couldn't hide her joy. Looking at her radiant reflection in the mirror, and imagining Shen Bin in his red attire walking with her across the fire pit, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart.
"Your Highness, please hurry and bathe and change. It would be terrible to miss the auspicious time." Inside Xuanhong Palace, Shen Bin sat in a chair, watching the nanny beside him constantly urging him to change into that red dress. If he were marrying Zhao Ning'er, he wouldn't need to be urged; he would definitely put on that dress immediately.
But the other party was the ruthless Princess Xiangping; just thinking about it made him feel disgusted. The maids standing behind the old woman couldn't help but laugh out loud at Shen Bin's behavior, secretly chuckling that Princess Xiangping was definitely forcing him into marriage. This was big news; if it got out, Princess Xiangping really didn't know how she would survive in the capital.
"What's so funny? No manners! If you keep this up, you'll all be sent to the laundry department." Everyone in the palace has their clothes washed by the laundry department. They wash countless clothes every day, and sometimes they suffer inhumane treatment. Every day they're back to the sky, face to the washboard. It's the most tiring place in the palace.
"Granny, we'll never dare to do it again, please forgive us." The group of maids immediately knelt on the ground, bowing their heads to admit their mistake. The nanny didn't hold it against them, scolded them a few times, and told them to get up.
“My lord, if Princess Xiangping is all set up, and you still refuse to wear the groom’s attire, neither of us will have an easy time.” Shen Bin was already annoyed by the prospect of marrying Princess Xiangping, but who knew that this old woman was trying to threaten him? He was furious and threw the quilt on the table to the ground.
"Who's in charge here, you or me?" Shen Bin said coldly, looking at the broken pieces on the ground. The old woman was so frightened that she quickly knelt down and said, "Of course you're in charge here." She was also terrified. She didn't expect that the princess had a bad temper, and that the prince consort, who looked so gentle and weak, was actually a tough guy.
Looking at the groom's attire held by the maid behind him, Shen Bin was at a loss for what to do. Seeing that the old woman was silent, he turned his back, not wanting to see them. Taking advantage of his inattention, the old woman quickly sent a maid to Xiangping Palace. The old woman was also sweating for herself, thinking to herself that the masters these days were not easy to serve.
Not long after, the maid returned. Seeing that Shen Bin had his back to everyone, she bowed slightly and said, "Your Highness, the princess said that you must obey her wishes." As she spoke, she kept glancing at Shen Bin's back.
Shen Bin slowly turned around, looked at the kneeling nanny, and coldly snorted, "Take a bath and change your clothes." The nanny immediately stood up and said, "Yes, Your Highness." Shen Bin sneered inwardly at the nanny's fawning manner.
He originally intended to stall for time. If Lu Yu rescued Zhao Ning'er before the wedding night, he would break off the engagement. However, this old woman was quite cunning. She seemed to have figured out that he was being forced into marriage by Princess Xiangping, which was why she sent a maid to Xiangping Palace. Even a lowly maid was threatening him.
After bathing and changing, Shen Bin put on his groom's attire, all in red, which seemed particularly jarring to him. He didn't know why, even though he had always wanted to wear this outfit, now he felt an urge to tear it off.
"Oh my, the prince consort is so handsome! This outfit looks amazing on you," the old woman said, flattering Shen Bin as he changed into his wedding attire. The maids stared at Shen Bin with utter disbelief.
He used to want to marry someone, but now he can only wear a groom's suit and marry another woman. He thinks of Zhao Ning'er, who is still injured, and wonders if Ku Yu has found her. He is dressed as a groom and is about to marry another woman, unable to save the woman he loves.
"Hiss..." Shen Bin grabbed the hem of his clothes and tore it off. The maids and nannies, who had been admiring his handsome face, quickly came to their senses when they heard the sound of the clothes tearing and stopped Shen Bin's crazy act.